Ooh, lack of concentration at the back!

Gabriel Batistuta draws the defenders to him in the box and Juan Pablo Sorin backheels it into the path of Kily Gonzalez.

He's unmarked and swipes a left foot at it but under pressure from Nicky Butt, drags it wide of the post.

Let off.

Owen Hargreaves is still down off the side of the pitch. Doesn't look good at all.

Meanwhile, England are just having to stand firm at the back. Argentina have had all the early possession.

Javier Zanetti cuts inside and has a pop from long range. No issues for David Seaman.

Postpublished at 4 mins

4 mins

Argentina 0-0 England

Uh-oh. Injury-prone Owen Hargreaves has landed awkwardly on the edge of the pitch and he's having some treatment. Run it off lad!

Javier Zanetti did ever so well to twist his way out of trouble in the corner afterwards.

Gabriel Batistuta isn't holding back. He's clattered into Sol Campbell a few times already.

He's well up for it and almost gets in at the near post ahead of Campbell. David Seaman is sharp off his line.

Straight away Sol Campbell pumps it long. Emile Heskey wins the first header but Michael Owen won't reach it.

Good to set the tone early from Heskey. He'll be looking to do that all game.

Italian referee Pierluigi Collina is ready to get things going.

As John Motson said on commentary: "We have waited six months for this. Some might say four years..."

So, here we go!!

National anthems done, handshakes done...

Incredible atmosphere here at the Sapporo Dome in Japan.

There's just over 35,000 in attendance. Plenty of blue and white. England are playing in their red away strip today.

Jon Hatfield: How good would Michael Owen’s career have been looked back upon if he’d stayed injury free?!

Argentina boss Marcelo Bielsa is watching on intently during the national anthems. This is a BIG game for the group stages of the World Cup.

By the way, I've always thought Bielsa looks like someone who should be a spy. The next James Bond.

Image source, Getty Images

Alan Hansen
Former Scotland and Liverpool defender

The middle four of Argentina is class personified.

They are reminicising about that defeat in 1998 on BBC TV. David Beckham's heartache, teenager Michael Owen's stunning goal, David Batty's penalty miss...

Sven has stuck by Becks as the skipper. He must still be hurting from that though. Will it be playing on his mind today?

Jamie: Heskey starting again?!?! Get Fowler in the team Sven.

Vietnamese Dahyun: Bielsa seems a good manager, would love to see him manage a team in England one day.

Nice to see Nicky Butt back fit. Big game for him today. He'll need to stop his club teammate Juan Sebastian Veron in the middle.

Alan Hansen
Former Scotland and Liverpool defender

There's still lots and lots of pace in this side. You've got Michael Owen and Emile Heskey up front who have that club partnership. Nicky Butt is in that holding position which is important. He just needs to sit there, not move and be destructive. The only thing I would say is that he's got Paul Scholes on the left - which has been a problem position for England. I would have Owen Hargreaves out there and Scholes in the middle. Scholes is one of the world-class players England have got. Don't play him out of position!

BBC Red Button

We are live. The theme tune is rolling and Gary Lineker is joined by Alan Hansen, Ian Wright and Martin O'Neill.

Jack Tanner: Samuel, Zanetti, Simeone, Veron, Batistuta... Can see this Argentina team going far. Fun fact: Batistuta spent a few years living in Western Australia after retirement - no-one had the slightest idea who he was.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

There was real tension in the air at the pre-match preliminaries for this fierce rivalry - with England wanting to settle a four-year-old score from France 98 when they lost to Argentina on penalties in the last 16.

England's Paul Scholes lifted the mood when he addressed the media and was asked by Argentine journalists to name his favourite footballer.

Scholes was clearly expected to say - at least by the Argentine media contingent - Diego Maradona.

Not a bit of it.

"Frankie Bunn", he announced to bemused looks from those unfamilar with Scholes' admiration for the striker who played for his lifelong football love Oldham Athletic.

Scanning the room and seeing the puzzled expressions, Scholes was happy to elaborate: "Frankie Bunn. Scored six goals in a League Cup tie against Scarborough once."

Ian Wright
Former Arsenal striker

I would have liked to have seen Paul Scholes in the middle and maybe someone like Trevor Sinclair on the left. He's someone who could actually attack the right-back. We need someone who can defend too. Javier Zanetti is going to be attacking Paul Scholes and we want him going the other way.